Driver rescued after driving his vehicle off a ten-metre-high bridge in La Axarquía

The vehicle fell into a stream between Sedella and Canillas de Aceituno and the sole occupant was taken to the local hospital

Three images of the state of the vehicle and the bridge over which the driver fell. (CPB)

08/05/2026 a las 13:11h.

A driver was injured on Friday after his four-wheel drive vehicle plunged from a bridge on the MA-4105, between the Axarquia municipalities of ... Sedella and Canillas de Aceituno. The vehicle fell into a stream bed from a height of more than ten metres, according to sources from the provincial fire brigade consortium (CPB) of Malaga.

The accident occurred at around 7.15am, when, for reasons that have not been revealed and are still under investigation, the vehicle left the road on one of the mountainous inland sections of the Axarquía and ended up plunging into the river.

The SUV was left completely destroyed after plunging into the riverbed, under one of the stone bridges of the MA-4105

The images released by the fire brigade reflect the force of the impact. The vehicle was left completely destroyed after plunging into the riverbed, under one of the stone bridges on this road.

A team from the Vélez-Málaga fire station was sent to the scene, as well as emergency medical staff from 061 and Guardia Civil officers, who took part in the rescue operation and attended to the injured man. According to CPB sources, the driver was trapped inside the vehicle when the emergency teams arrived, which required a complex intervention due to the slope of the terrain and the difficult access to the riverbed.

Transferred to the Hospital de la Axarquia

The firefighters descended to the area where the car was located and managed to extract the occupant by means of a spinal board to immobilise him and facilitate his transfer to the ambulance. The injured man was later taken to the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía, in Vélez-Málaga, although no further information about his state of health or his identity has been released.

The Guardia Civil has taken charge of the investigation to try to clarify the exact circumstances in which the accident took place, on a road known for its steep slopes and sharp bends.

The Guardia Civil have taken charge of the investigation to try to clarify the circumstances in which the accident occurred

The MA-4105 connects several municipalities of the upper Axarquia and crosses a mountainous area located in the vicinity of the Sierras Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama natural park. It is a road used by locals, hikers and visitors attracted by the inland scenery of the region.

These types of roads regularly record accidents involving vehicles running off the road, especially in narrow and winding sections where any momentary lapse in attention can have serious consequences due to the steep drop-offs beside the carriageway. The rapid response of the emergency services made it possible to rescue the driver alive despite the dramatic nature of the accident and the condition of the vehicle after it plunged into the stream bed.